


Façade

by raging_stor



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, canon character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:47:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22077175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raging_stor/pseuds/raging_stor
Summary: Shalnark is known for his bright smile, but only Uvogin knows what he hides behind it.
Relationships: Uvogin | Ubogin/Shalnark
Comments: 13
Kudos: 134





	Façade

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little different from what I usually write, but enjoy! And leave a comment if you like it!

Shalnark was known for certain things. His childlike innocence, cheerful demeanor, and friendly nature made him approachable despite his affiliation with the Phantom Troupe. It was because of this reputation that few expected from him the levels of violence he often indulged in. And even to those who knew him well, who understood that underneath that pleasant smile he was a cold-blooded killer, it could be a surreal experience to watch him fight.

When Danchou asked Shalnark to kill, he showed no remorse or mercy, and that smile never left his face. His eyes were hauntingly blank as he effortlessly claimed the lives of hundreds. If one didn’t look closely at his eyes it may appear that he enjoyed the thrill of murder, but upon closer examination it was clear that to him killing was just another task, as mundane as any other. 

The smile he wore was little more than a façade, a practiced mask that he consistently hid behind for fear that he would be exposed. Whatever emotions passed through his mind, as long as he wore the same cheery smile and dead eyes, he could keep out the world.

It was rare to see Shalnark without that false smile, but there were moments when it fell, when the man seemed to show genuine emotion. Those were the moments Uvogin valued and sought out. Brief flickers of feeling shone briefly in his eyes before he inevitably returned to hiding behind that smile. 

Uvogin prided himself on knowing Shalnark better than anyone. He had a knack for breaking through the man’s walls in a way that frustrated him to no end. Shalnark wanted to hate the way that Uvogin broke the mask he’d worked so hard to put up, but despite his annoyances it was a relief to have someone who could truly see him. Over time Shalnark grew to trust Uvogin and figured out that the man would never take advantage of the power he had over him.

The more Shalnark knew Uvogin, the more he was able to relax around him in a way that nobody else ever saw. Eventually, when it was just the two of them, Shalnark’s smile would drop. He would lay on his side with his head on one of Uvogin’s broad thighs, tracing patterns on his knee with a finger. He would talk for hours and Uvogin would listen silently and comb his large fingers through his hair. 

In front of the rest of the Troupe, Uvogin and Shalnark kept up a playful banter that appeared effortless. In a way it was, since the two of them were in it together. Shalnark would smile his haunting blank smile as he played along, teasing Uvogin for his reckless behavior and stubbornness. Uvogin would ruffle his hair and kiss his cheek and ultimately end up doing whatever foolish thing Shalnark had warned against. 

As soon as they were alone, there was no teasing or fighting or hiding behind lies. They were both at their most real, completely bared to one another. Trust guided their relationship as they grew to feel like one and the same. When they shared their first kiss it felt like something that had always been meant to happen, and they both relaxed into it as comfortably as anything else they did with one another. 

When Uvogin angrily declared to the troupe that he wouldn’t come back until he’d defeated the chain user, Shalnark had no way of knowing that the tender moments they shared had come to an end. The only thing he knew was that there was something wrong about that day, and for a moment he let his face fall despite the presence of the other Troupe members.

“Uvo… Be careful.” 

These were the last words Shalnark ever spoke to Uvogin, to the one person who had known him better than any other. The day Chrollo declared that Uvogin was most likely dead was the day Shalnark’s world came crashing down around him. It marked an ending, not just of his relationship with Uvogin but of his vulnerability. After that day, Shalnark was alone. He faced the world the way he always had, with his head held high and a cheerful smile upon his face.


End file.
